Still streaking

Nice view, does it look like it's -15? It was.

Only in Idaho, a pickup truck bed full of mounted moose heads

Another view of the moose heads

Festival of Trees at MD Nursery, Driggs, Idaho

The streak of at least one mile a day and three pullups continues, about 18 days in a row! I'm on the treadmill right now, walking slowly because I have an ouch in my hip..

I haven't run in days because of Festival of Trees, a fundraising event for our local hospital. I am cochairperson with Milissa and we've been working hard on it for months. The actual event is tonight. This week has been tough because it's been so blasted cold, the hip hurts and FoT is taking up all of my time. Anyhoo, FoT has been great because I don't feel the least bit guilty about not running on the hurt hip. I'm exhausted and taking an extra 5 mg of HC but still falling asleep very early.

Good news, NO MIGRAINE for the third month in a row!!! I'm attributing this to doubling melatonin the week before the expected migraine. This is the longest I've gone without a migraine in about 4 or 5 years. For me, migraines are NOT stress related. I'm under a lot of stress right now!!

Although I've been consumed with the fundraiser, I'm still thinking about next year's running goals and how I will accomplish them. It's imperative that I keep thinking about the races because many application deadlines are looming for events that will happen in the spring and summer of 2010! Next week I will submit several applications and commit myself to a few things.

Full moon setting over the Big Holes, -10 degrees F

A few pics from Saturday

Mamma and her baby (laying down) in the Willows by the Teton River. Heather and I were glad we were on the road with a fence in between and some traffic, just in case!

Saturday was a gorgeous day sunny and "warm". We probably had a high of 40, woo hoo!

I had company on my long day and it was great. Heather alone for some, Joanne and Heather for some and just Joanne for some.

This is probably the last time I'll see the pavement of the bike path. Winter is coming.

Only in Idaho! Behind the clouds, trailers, gas tanks and dogs are the Tetons.

Spuds are being planted.

Joanne does my work! There were two bald eagles in the trees. As we approached, they flew closer to us, swooped over the lake and disappeared. BEAUTIFUL. I only had my phone and didn't get a picture. It was the only time, all day long, that I didn't have my camera!!!

Risk taking part of being healthier with chronic disease?

Someone on the Addison's Support Forum got me thinking about why some people with Addison's are healthier than others. My answer was:

I think there's a common thread that runs among those of us who live our lives normally. We research our diseases, keep copies of our labs and research. We're probably not considered the most compliant patients either! We hand doctors highlighted journal articles, question "normal" labs (and back up our questions with documentation) and suggest more up to date treatments and protocols than are being offered. Most doctors need a little boost of knowledge because they treat so few Addison's patients. There are so few of us that we can't expect them to read the latest journal articles about our condition on their own. We have to find the info and share it with them so they can treat well. We also ask to be tested and treated for comorbid conditions. Most importantly none of us are willing to settle for feeling ok if we can feel normal.

What I wrote above got me wondering if those of us who consider ourselves to feel well also consider ourselves risk takers? If you're a "healthy" person with chronic illness, do you consider yourself a risk taker? I can think of a few of you that I know personally, through email, phone calls and/or blogs that I would consider risk takers and you're all well despite a chronic illness or two or three.

Risk taker needs a definition: someone who risks loss or injury in the hope of gain or excitement

Are you unafraid to speak up to your doctor, follow your instincts with educated choices or ask the medical profession for what you want and need in order to gain good health despite the potential risks?